Dan Vorhaus, B.A. 2003
General Counsel & Chief People Officer, Rise Healthcare Tech, Inc. – Miami, FL
2003 Major: Philosophy and Computer Science
How has being a Philosophy graduate from Duke helped shape you personally and/or professionally?
"As a rising freshman at Duke, I was confident I wanted to program computers. Growing up in Silicon Valley during the first dotcom boom, I was confident that was my future. But I was also confident that success meant remaining well-rounded, and being able to communicate with people as well as machines. Four years later, I graduated with degrees in both philosophy and computer science, though I found that they overlapped far more than I expected when I entered Duke. I've found that both taught communication and analytical reasoning, two skills that have remained critical at every stage of my education and career since leaving Duke. I remain grateful for the education, training, and mentorship I received at Duke, including from the Philosophy Department."
What advice would you give students in Duke's Philosophy programs?
"The same I would give to any student anywhere: find the professors with the best reputations as teachers and enroll in their courses. A great teacher will make any subject matter worth learning."
